A bit late to the comments but Surfin' Bird first came to my attention back in the '80s due to it's absolutely stand out, tension breaking use in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.

Thus began my love of '60s Garage Rock.

Two classics out in quick succession, though I guess each has a bit of an asterisk - one being a (very good) cover version and the other being a reissue

Two very good songs out in ABBA and The BeeGees.

Glad to see how well Nina Simone did. It is a bit of an oddity in her discography I guess but it's just so uplifting and I love that she had a hit with it. Wouldn't be anywhere near my favourite song of hers but I felt I had to give it top marks in this.

Also glad to see Erasure did well, albeit falling just shy of the top 20. That EP was roughly the point where I began to like them as a band (and about the time I began to like music at all really) so it's a special single for me. It's not quite up there with their best work but it's still decent enough and I like the other tracks on the EP too.

16th: 178 points

Run - Leona Lewis

Voters: …ready for it (20), Paddington James (17), AaronTM (16), Scene (16), musicfan97 (15), gasman449 (14), JackJones (14), GreyAsh (11), gooddelta (11), December Dong (10), Jester (10), Electroboy (6), 777666jason (6), detonate (6), Michael Bubré (5), DarrenJ77 (1)

13/12/2008 {1}-1-3-2-2-4-9-12-20-26-31-38-43-55-32-43-62-57-56-67-75-69-75-73R(22)-67R(5)-69R(195)->26

Christmas number one: Hallelujah - Alexandra Burke

Christmas number two: Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

“Run” originated from Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol waking up after falling down a flight of stairs in 2000. Snow Patrol’s version was released in February 2004 and was their 1st hit, reaching #5, just one place below their biggest hit which is of course… “Signal Fire”.

Leona’s version started with a 2007 Live Lounge performance, which they then decided to rush release in late 2008 after the relative underperformance of “Forgive Me”. At the time it was the fastest selling ever digital only release. Leona has done very well here, with this being the lowest placed of her three songs.

RUN is still one of the best songs she done, the entire top 3 that week deserve Christmas number 1

Oops I’d missed the Christmas top 2s for #23 to #21, now there.

Just now, Julian_ said:

Oops I’d missed the Christmas top 2s for #23 to #21, now there.

Great to see that Righteous Brothers double-A doing well, more '60s impact, even if a '90s revival on this occasion!

'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' is a classic but I'm also familiar with 'Ebb Tide' as it was on some Spector compilation I listened to, when working through one of those 'all-time great' publication lists. A fantastic production and vocal team quality-wise, obviously Spector's unsavoury personal life aside.

15th: 180 points

The Final Countdown - Europe

Voters: JackJones (20), DaTilt (19), gasman449 (18), GreyAsh (13), Chez Wombat (13), jimwatts (12), Roba. (11), detonate (10), Michael Bubré (10), DarrenJ77 (9), …ready for it (7), Mangø (6), Mack. (5), musicfan97 (5), rio309 (4), dancember (3), Jaz13music (3), Scene (3), Jason (3), 777666jason (2), Electroboy (2), Sausage Rollo (2)

1/11/1986 71-35-14-5-2-{1}-1-3-3-3-4-14-32-41-72->15

Christmas number one: Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson

Christmas number two: Caravan Of Love - The Housemartins

Swedish band Europe had been active since 1979, but this glam rock anthem, originally intended as a concert opener rather than a single, was their 1st UK hit in 1986. The futuristic lyrics were inspired by David Bowie’s “Soace Oddity”. It topped the chart here, and led to a string of further hits, though this was their only Top 10.

A big Christmas classic will be falling next with over 200 points, but which one?

3 minutes ago, Julian_ said:

15th: 180 points

The Final Countdown - Europe

Voters: JackJones (20), DaTilt (19), gasman449 (18), GreyAsh (13), Chez Wombat (13), jimwatts (12), Roba. (11), detonate (10), Michael Bubré (10), DarrenJ77 (9), …ready for it (7), Mangø (6), Mack. (5), musicfan97 (5), rio309 (4), dancember (3), Jaz13music (3), Scene (3), Jason (3), 777666jason (2), Electroboy (2), Sausage Rollo (2)

1/11/1986 71-35-14-5-2-{1}-1-3-3-3-4-14-32-41-72->15

Christmas number one: Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson

Christmas number two: Caravan Of Love - The Housemartins

Swedish band Europe had been active since 1979, but this glam rock anthem, originally intended as a concert opener rather than a single, was their 1st UK hit in 1986. The futuristic lyrics were inspired by David Bowie’s “Soace Oddity”. It topped the chart here, and led to a string of further hits, though this was their only Top 10.

What a great top 3 that was.

Another instant classic , although caravan of love is the superior track that week

I like Snow Patrol but think Leona's version of Run is much more powerful, Gary's voice and the instrumental on the original feel so weak after hearing her cover. Great song. The Final Countdown is an absolute rock classic, the first from my top 3 to go.

9 minutes ago, gasman449 said:

I like Snow Patrol but think Leona's version of Run is much more powerful, Gary's voice and the instrumental on the original feel so weak after hearing her cover. Great song. The Final Countdown is an absolute rock classic, the first from my top 3 to go.

Yeah Snow patrols version is nice enough , Leonas pipe just make it hit different gives it the punch to make it more emotional like the lyrics suggest

The weakest of the 3 Leona tracks goes first, that's good.

Final Countdown is a classic but I find it a bit cringe these days with the overexposure.

14th: 203 points

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Voters: December Dong (19), AaronTM (19), gooddelta (18), …ready for it (17), MusicFan97 (17), Roba. (17), Jester (14), jimwatts (14), dancember (13), JackJones (12), Scene (11), Electroboy (9), WhoOdyssey (9), detonate (7), DarrenJ77 (3), Last Dreamer (3), Jade (1)

10/12/94 5-{2}-2-2-8-28-50-59R(7)->8

2007 download 46-23-8-4-6-20-59R(46)-45-37-17-12-17-25-51R(48)-29-19-21-18-48R(48)-22-23-25-31-64R(48)-27-12-11-17-56R(48)-30-20-21-20-55-68R(47)-47-14-12-13-30-68R(47)-52-17-16-18-20-35R(49)-13-12-11-37-72R(47)-29-6-8-5-5-34R(47)-22-5-2-4-4-65R(47)-34-6-5-4-2-59R(47)-34-8-6-8-2-60R(46)-31-14-2-{1}-1-2-2-69R(45)-44-24-3-4-4-4-3-56R(45)-36-18-8-1-2-4-2-40R(45)-28-16-6-2-3-3-3-58R(45)-38-17-10-5-3-3-2-62-51R(45)-22-13-4-3-3-2-31->124

Christmas number ones: Last Christmas - Wham!, XMAS - Kylie Minogue

Christmas number twos: You’re Christmas To Me - Sam Ryder, That’s So True - Gracie Abrams, Last Christmas - Wham!

Written for her 1994 festive album “Merry Christmas” this originally took the Christmas #2 spot behind Easy 17’s “Stay Another Day”. In the streaming age it has again been Christmas #2 and finally reached #1 in December 2020, but has still not been Christmas #1. Its total chart sales now stand at over 6 million. It has a record 22 weeks as the Billboard #1.

Yeah AIWFIY needs to get in the bin

Really happy AIWFIY is out. Thought it’d go close to winning it though.

13th: 214 points

One Of Us - ABBA

Voters: Sausage Rollo (20), Julian_ (19), Chez Wombat (18), Jade (18), 777666jason (17), Jaz13music (16), Last Dreamer (16), gooddelta (15), Paddington James (14), JackJones (13), DarrenJ77 (11), rio309 (10), chartjack2 (8), dancember (8), AaronTM (4), dandy* (3), Mang∅ (2), Severin (1), Steve201 (1)

Chart run: 12/12/1981 11-{3}-3-3-5-6-17-22-30-65->10

Christmas number one: Don't You Want Me - The Human League

Christmas number two: Daddy's Home - Cliff Richard

Their 19th top 10 hit and last appearance in that section of the UK charts for almost 40 years, "One Of Us" was the lead single for ABBA's 8th album The Visitors. It was their first release following the divorces within the group. Benny and Björn were influenced by their recent divorces when writing the track.